Lemon Spaghetti - Light and Delicious!

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2 image collage of lemon spaghetti on white plates with text overlay in the middle

Lemon Spaghetti is an easy dish that is bursting with fresh, vibrant flavors. Light and delicious, this easy recipe is perfect for a quick dinner tonight!

Love lemon recipes? Make sure to try my Lemon Curd, Lemon Cookies, and Lemon Bread!

plate of lemon spaghetti with text overlay garnished with parmesan lemon and basil

Lemon Spaghetti

There’s something about bringing my family together for a home-cooked meal that warms my soul. My family ate dinner together when I was growing up and it’s a tradition that I will continue with my children. Having a six year old and a four year old means that I frequently deal with, “I’m not going to eat that! It looks yucky!”

Thankfully there is a meal that I can pull together in 20 minutes and everyone loves it – pasta! No matter the form, no matter the sauce, when my kids see pasta they say “Yum!” I love how quick a pasta dinner is to pull together – get the pasta going, cook your proteins and/or veggies, throw a baguette in the oven and you’re halfway done!

For World Pasta Day I served up Lemon Spaghetti. Bursting with fresh, vibrant flavor- the spaghetti was a complete success! It was so light, so delicious – a meal the whole family could enjoy – together!

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Lemon Spaghetti Ingredients

  • spaghetti
  • lemons
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
  • salt
  • black pepper, freshly ground
  • fresh basil, chopped

lemon spaghetti ingredients laid out on board

How To Make Lemon Spaghetti

  • Grate lemon peels and place lemon zest in a small bowl. lemon being zested on white plate with microplane
  • Juice the lemons into a separate bowl. Whisk the oil, lemon juice, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and blend.
  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring occasionally  until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid.spaghetti noodles in large pot with water not yet cooked
  • Add the spaghetti to the lemon sauce, and toss with the basil and lemon zest. Toss the pasta with enough reserved cooking liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, to moisten.lemon spaghetti ingredients in big blue bowl
  • Season the pasta with more salt and pepper to taste and serve.
    • lemon spaghetti on white plate with asparagus and salmon garnished with lemon and basil and Parmesan

    As a busy mom, I totally understand the challenges we all face in getting a hot meal on the table for dinner. I also understand how important it is. Meals are a great way to reconnect with your family, to show how much you care, and to catch up on what happened that day.

    My children look forward to dinner time because they know that’s the one meal during the day that they share with both my husband and I. I love that my children enjoy this time together and making it a tradition now will make it easier to sustain as our lives and schedules get increasingly busy.

    Being short on time doesn’t mean you can’t provide your family with a home-cooked meal. Barilla pasta makes it easy to prepare a meal in a reasonable amount of time AND it’s a meal that your whole family will LOVE!

    More Pasta Dinners

  • Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese
  • The BEST Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese
  • Tortellini Salad
  • Tuna Casserole with Noodles
  • Easy Stuffed Shells

    • How To Make Lemon Spaghetti

    Quick and Easy Lemon Spaghetti

    Lemon Spaghetti is an easy dish that is bursting with fresh, vibrant flavors. Light and delicious, this recipe is perfect for a quick and easy dinner tonight!

    Course Dinner Cuisine American Keyword lemon spaghetti Prep Time 12 minutes Cook Time 8 minutes Total Time 20 minutes Servings 6 Calories 547kcal Author Trish - Mom On Timeout

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb Barilla Spaghetti
    • 2 fresh lemons
    • 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 2/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese freshly grated
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground
    • 1/3 cup fresh basil chopped

    Instructions

    • Grate lemon peels and place lemon zest in a small bowl. Juice the lemons into a separate bowl. Whisk the oil, lemon juice, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and blend.

    • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring occasionally until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid.

    • Add the spaghetti to the lemon sauce, and toss with the basil and lemon zest. Toss the pasta with enough reserved cooking liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, to moisten.

    • Season the pasta with more salt and pepper to taste and serve.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 547kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 474mg | Potassium: 228mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 87IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 157mg | Iron: 1mg

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